Get Big Results by Thinking and Acting Small: microMARKETING

The media tides have turned. And many marketers still make the mistake of seeing the raising numbers of those getting on Facebook, Twitter, and on blogs and lifestreams as one big market for their big idea. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In this new media reality -- what Greg Verdino calls the era of microcontent and microcultures in his new book microMARKETING (Amazon affiliate link) -- the biggest marketing opportunities lie not in the one big thing, but in lots and lots of small things.

7 shifts from mass to micro

Once upon a time, mass marketers relied on mass communication to broadcast messages over traditional media networks and target consumers via interruption. They would plan campaigns around artificial concepts like sales funnel, peak season, and prime time, buy reach and aim for awareness. Success was based upon the one big thing.

In the world of micro, marketers resonate with masses of communicators, tap into the pass-along power and peer-to-peer potential of the network effect, and deliver mutual value through two-way interactions. They make a commitment to engage people directly in real time, build meaningful relationships, earn attention, and enjoy success through lots and lots of small things.

Real case studies

Lots and lots of examples (and not the usual suspects) in the bookdemonstrate the value of micromarketing, which doesn't mean you have no strategy, BTW. Each chapter contains shorthand lessons and helpful links.

I particularly loved the chapter on real time, the place where the conversation -- why, what, and how -- takes center stage. Check out the definition of real time on pages 127 & 128. Then see how being prepared to seize the moment is tightly connected to addressing social media crisis and capitalizing on the business opportunities that come with fast moving memes.

Learn how we've moved from exchange relationships, the quid pro quo kind of affairs, to communal relationships, those unconcerned with the payback, and for that reason good candidates for creating customer evangelists. How many love letters has your company received from customers this month?

Why all the emphasis on creating useful and timely content? Earned media is now the multiplier effect of paid media. How are you reorganizing your thinking and skill sets to navigate this new reality?

A note on style

Because if you read this blog, you're someone who enjoys style with substance. While you will benefit from the insights of a marketer who has been practicing his trade for 20 years, you won't need to do any mental gymnastics to read this book. It follows one clear thread that supports its premise and delivers on its promise.

[Disclosure: I received a copy
of microMARKETING for review from my colleague Jane Quigley, who took the photograph you see in this post. Since June, I also work with Greg Verdino, the author. This review and recommendation is based upon the quality of
the material -- and not on how I obtained it.]